2015 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: In Me an Invincible Summer by Ryan Loveless

[reviews_and_ramblings]

In Me an Invincible Summer by Ryan Loveless
Gay Contemporary General Fiction
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (October 31, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632162202
ISBN-13: 978-1632162205
Amazon: In Me an Invincible Summer
Amazon Kindle: In Me an Invincible Summer

To an outsider's view, world-famous action star Joe Nestra lives the Hollywood dream—parties, women, and a high-profile divorce. In reality, Joe's agent directs his public life. Those women he's supposedly intimate with? Prearranged dates ending at the red carpet. With his assistant and best friend Derek Simmons's help, Joe has lived safely in the closet since his divorce, choosing to let off steam with discreet male escorts rather than risk an actual boyfriend. At forty-four, he has no plans to change. Then, taking a role in a film without flashy explosions upends that.

When Joe signs on to play an early 1990s-era AIDS-stricken gay man, his internalized homophobia threatens the production. His out costar Hunter Starling won't put up with Joe's behavior. As the animosity between Joe and Hunter grows, saving the film means Joe must face his deepest fear. Challenges pile up from all directions, from his father disowning him to the entertainment industry's backstabbing reaction. Amid the backlash, Joe ventures into his first gay romantic relationship, tries to help others worse off, and slowly learns how to live his life instead of just acting it.


This was a very interesting story.  I did not always like the main characters and wanted to smack Joe more than once.  If you like your stories with more than a little angst, or characters afraid to come out of the closet, than this is the book for you.  The author did do a great job wrapping the story line up and I loved the way Joe progressed through the course of the book.

I just finished reading "In Me An Invincible Summer." I hate to give a book all 10's because it doesn't leave room for anything that might be better, but I honestly couldn't fault the book at all. It was a terrific read. I was captivated from the very start, and I stayed captivated the entire time. Dialogue was great. Characters and situations and details were all believable and convincing. There was humor and tension and warmth. There may have been a scene or two I felt went on a bit long, but it wasn't enough of a problem for me to lower my score. I loved this book.